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Extinct (EX) – No known individuals remaining.

Extinct in the Wild (EW) – Known only to survive in captivity, or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.

Critically Endangered (CR) – Extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

Endangered (EN) – High risk of extinction in the wild.

Vulnerable (VU) – High risk of endangerment in the wild.

Near Threatened (NT) – Likely to become endangered in the near future.

Least Concern (LC) – Lowest risk. Does not qualify for a higher risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

Data Deficient (DD) – Not enough data to make an assessment of its risk of extinction.

Not Evaluated (NE) – Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.

Spot Prawn

Common Name: Spot Prawn, Spot Shrimp

Scientific Name:Pandalus platyceros

Size: Up to 10.5 inches (27 cm)

Distribution:

North Pacific Ocean from Sea of Japan to Alaska’s Aleutian Islands through SE Alaska to S. California

Habitat:

In coldwater reefs and rocky habitats to 460m (1510ft) deep to near the surface; more common 90m (300ft).

Life History:

Eggs are carried on females’ abdomen during winter and hatch at depths greater than 150m (490ft) in late winter. The larval shrimp, called nauplii, feed on zooplankton in the water column until they settle to the bottom. They molt repeatedly throughout their life, growing larger with each molt.

Diet in the Wild:

Other shrimp, worms, sponges, small mollusks, carrion, plankton. Spot shrimp and their relatives tend to forage at night and seek cover during the day.

Natural Predators: They are consumed by octopuses and many fish species.

Population Status:

Spot shrimp populations are considered stable in SE Alaska but they have been reduced in numbers in other Alaskan waters. Commercial and sport harvests are now closely managed to conserve numbers.

Additional Information:

Pink shrimp, Pandalus eous, and sidestripe shrimp, Pandalopsis dispar, are in the same family as spot shrimp and are two other commercially valuable species.

Fun Facts:

Spot shrimp are the largest shrimp in the North Pacific Ocean.

A spot shrimp begin life as a male and changes sex to become a female toward the end of its life. It spawns once as a male and one or more times as a female.

Female spot shrimp, being older, are also much larger than the younger males.